Entrainment and Mental Health Management

*Nothing in this article is intended to replace the advice and treatment of your primary medical practitioner.

It’s fair to say depression is prevalent in society today. Globally, over 120 million people are estimated to suffer from depression (ref: World Health Organization Statistics). Even wider than this, one in four people are predicted to suffer some form of mental illness during their lifetime.

These numbers seem highly alarming to me and it’s worth stating that the reality of the situation for those of you who suffer, or know first-hand of a friend or family member that does, is much more vivid and real than just being another one of the statistics above.

Why are the numbers so high? Is it to do with genetics, poor health management, increased incidence of chemical imbalances, harder economic living conditions, social stress and hardship, a lack of support focus and so on? The reality is that the factors underpinning various forms of mental health issues are numerous and complex and it’s too hard to say what any single cause is – nor whether any one drug or form of therapy is the solution that can address all your symptoms.

Most people will admit, however, that there doesn’t seem to be a wide variety of strategies available to help manage mental health issues and even guide your recovery back to a more enjoyable, liveable state. Anti-depressant medication can be particularly helpful and we would never question its use under the right circumstances. Similarly, the right therapy can be really beneficial for those who are motivated to pursue it and have the means to work at it on a longer-term basis. Despite these options, we still find that people are suffering and many are looking for a drug-free alternative or complement to help improve their situation.

Properly engineered brainwave entrainment has the potential to make a significant difference to your quality of life, when used carefully as part of an actively managed program under the supervision of your primary medical practitioner.

The relevance of brainwave entrainment

If you haven’t come across audio brainwave entrainment before, it’s a type of sound therapy that provides an audio ‘pulsed tone’ stimulus to your brain. Through your auditory pathways, specific brain regions will ‘entrain’ to the stimulus (attempt to follow and emulate the sound patterns) and in doing so, your brainwave state follows the frequency provided by the audio stimulus. The great thing about audio entrainment is that, under the right conditions, it provides an access point to positively affect your cognitive function and mind. Specific sound frequencies can be used to achieve different desired states such as deep relaxation or relief from anxiety, increased focus, cognitive support, mood elevation and so on. This is significant as by altering your brainwave state, you may have a positive effect on various neurotransmitters such as serotonin, acetylcholine and dopamine and various hormones such as cortisol and noradrenalin, many of which are known to affect various emotional states such as mood and addiction.

Another fascinating aspect of properly engineered brainwave entrainment is that it is known from time to time to help surface and process repressed issues and thereby clear them. Depending on individual circumstances, the right audio stimulus will challenge the brain through a process called the Cortical Evoked Response. The brain is pushed to adapt to the stimulus and, in doing so can release trapped emotions or belief patterns that no longer support you. This process can be very cathartic and feelings of freedom and calmness are likely to ensue. If needed, it’s always useful to have someone around that you can talk to about any topics that surface if or when this happens.

There have been a number of studies undertaken on various types of depression and the efficacy of brainwave entrainment. A recent study by David Cantor and Emily Stevens at the Psychological Sciences Institute in Duluth, Georgia examined the effects of 4 weeks of daily 14 Hz audio-visual EEG entrainment on 16 depressed subjects. They reported that 4 weeks of AVE treatment was associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms as well as EEG changes over time in cortical regions associated with mood regulation (ref: QEEG correlates of auditory-visual entrainment treatment efficacy of refractory depression, Journal of Neurotherapy, 13(2): 100-108). In another study, Dr. Norman Shealy examined the effect of 30 minutes of 10 Hz stimulation, and found that it was enough to lift 60% of his subjects out of depression. He also noted an increase in serotonin levels.

We’ll outline how you can use our technology and specific audio tracks to support a variety of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, OCD, post-traumatic stress disorder and even addictions.

Dealing with Depression

“The opposite of depression is not happiness, but vitality…” (Andrew Solomon, TED Talk December 2013)

Clinical depression is often experienced as a persistent state of low, depressed mood that affects how you think, feel and behave every day. People often describe their depression as a feeling of severe flatness or staleness that depletes their will and takes the enjoyment out of life. Related symptoms include fatigue, a lack of interest in daily activities, sleeping issues, weight problems and various other complicating issues.

In our view, a core aspect of the depressive feelings of staleness and flatness is related to a lack of motivating energy and cognitive stimulation. As alluded to in the quote above from Andrew Solomon, the goal is not just to be ‘happy’ but rather to do all you can to bring vitality back into your life. In this way, we’ve found that certain audio brainwave tracks, when coupled with the right treatment approach, can be a very effective strategy for coping with depression.

Initially, we would suggest listening to a special ‘dual brainwave’ track designed to produce a specific Alpha frequency in one ear and a specific Beta frequency in the other ear (not to be confused with Binaural Beats technology which we don’t use, nor endorse). Our dual brainwave track is designed to increase your energy levels and motivation, as well as quieten the negative voices that might be contributing to your depression. Each of our products has a version of this dual brainwave track that can be used daily or even twice daily to see how it supports your situation. Note, you would not want to mix up the left and right channels, so please ensure you have your headphones on the right way each time.

Following a sustained period of listening to the dual brainwave track (e.g. a couple of weeks), you could then incorporate a track designed to take your brainwaves down to a specific frequency within the Theta level known to support cognitive function and deep relaxation. Again, we’ve found through user experience that this combination can provide the necessary energy and stimulation to help you lift yourself more easily out of a depressive state. As mentioned above, proper audio entrainment technology can also help clear out repressed emotions and negative thought patterns that no longer serve you, thus providing further support for your situation.

Another key factor with depression is the self-sabotaging negative thoughts and beliefs you may be repeating to yourself throughout the day or week. Your mind obviously has a strong effect on your brain and neurotransmitters and it’s not hard to imagine how you can compound and prolong your situation when your mind works against you. People suffering from depression usually reinforce their depressive state every day through negative thought patterns. Another powerful tool we have designed is the triplex tracks, such as the Happiness Triplex in our RevitaMind product. This track has been designed to work on three levels within the brain (left hemisphere, right hemisphere and conscious mind) to reinforce positive beliefs about your mood. You may want to listen every day in addition to the dual brainwave track and/or Theta track.

Of course, we’re the first to admit that brainwave entrainment alone is not the Holy Grail and you should continue to work with a complete strategy that maximizes your chances of getting into and maintaining a balanced state.

Additional tips and suggestions to support your situation include:

• Nutritional support: High quality omega 3 fish oil in decent doses together with a ‘bio active’ b-vitamin complex (such as from Thorne Research, ProThera etc) can really benefit you. Some people even combine those two supplements with either 5-Hydroxy-Tryptophan (‘5 HTP’ is a natural amino acid derivative that is a precursor to serotonin), or with SAM-e (S-Adenosyl methionine) with great results. Please note that 5 HTP should not be used in conjunction with prescription anti-depressants or alcohol. If in doubt, you should consult your doctor before taking it.
• Exercise: As with the need to stimulate your mind, so too do you need to keep moving each day with physical exercise. The increase in endorphins, self-satisfaction and the positive cognitive benefits will really help. Commit to doing one or more forms of active physical exercise every day.
• Activities: It’s really important to stick to an active routine and ideally choose healthy activities and hobbies that you enjoy. Keep to a regular schedule every day no matter how you feel and be proactive with those activities you get enjoyment out of – such as reading, exercising, sports, book clubs, lessons etc.
• Creative visualization: This is a really important factor often overlooked by others. We’ve mentioned above how people with depression often become hardwired to produce negative thoughts that further compounds their situation. Audio entrainment can be thought of like a ‘neutral intention augmenter’. Your thoughts and feelings while you listen will have a big effect on the benefits you get. For example, if you listen to one of our tracks while thinking and feeling the most negative thoughts possible, you will come out feeling terrible. We therefore suggest using a positive visualization that engages your senses and feelings while listening. For example, visualize something like golden rays of light entering your body through your head and circulating around your body into every cell. Feel as if the golden rays of light bring on sensations of warmth, positivity and re-invigoration. Use your breath and feel it acting like a broom, sweeping this golden light to any physical or mental areas that feel particularly dark, flat or depressed. You could engage in this visualization for either several minutes or for the duration of the audio track.
• Three Good Things: Again it’s all about turning the balance in favor of positive, constructive thoughts. The more you can shift your lens or filter so that you’re seeing the good in your daily life, the better you will feel over time. Keep a gratitude journal and record three good things each day that you are grateful for (no matter how big, small or trivial). Alternatively, you could do a version of this in your mind while listening to one of our audio tracks. Take the time to really ‘feel into’ your gratitude for each item using your breath.
• Sunlight: No matter whether it’s summer or winter, try to get outside every day and get around 30 minutes of natural sunlight on your face, arms and legs.
• Checklist mentality: Again, depression is something you need to proactively work at. Make a checklist of the suggestions above and others that seem useful for your situation and work at it consistently on a daily basis.

Relieving Anxiety

In addition to depression, many people suffer from anxiety, often in extreme cases such as with post-traumatic stress disorder. Some anxiety can be normal in everyday life; however, persistent anxiety about both major and/or minor events can really interfere with your ability to cope and maintain a healthy, balanced state.

As well as the tracks referred to above, both of which can help with anxiety, the ‘Tranquility’ track on our RevitaMind product has been specifically included to support those people with anxiety related issues. Tranquility is designed to gently take your brainwaves down to a specific frequency within the Alpha range that is associated with the most calming and relaxing states known. It is in fact modeled on the states that monks are able to achieve in their deepest meditations. Just listening to the track for 30 minutes each day can really support your situation.

You may wish to combine the listening session with a visualization to enhance the effects. For example, your anxiety may relate to specific fears or events in your life that you have to face on a regular basis. We recommend the following steps while listening to Tranquility:

1. Initially just listen for a few minutes after starting the track and relax as much as possible.
2. Next, get a sense of your anxiety as you continue to listen and then ‘feel’ into the core or source of the anxious feelings (it may be about a person, an event, what someone has done to you or something you’ve done). As you feel into the feelings more and more, try and let go of any resistance or judgements about the anxiety and just be present with the feelings. You do this simply by using your intent and deciding or directing your mind to do so and just feeling yourself let go. After a couple of minutes of doing this, aim to let all resistance or judgements go about the cause of the anxiety and just feel into it more. You may notice the anxious feelings start to reduce, or even experience a shift or slight euphoria, as often its our conscious mind’s desire to avoid or resist the anxiety that causes as much suffering as the anxiety issue itself.
3. After several minutes of doing this, then imagine or visualize the source of the anxiety as if you were viewing it through a camera. First imagine you see the issue in full color but then you slowly allow it to fade into a black and white image. Next, in terms of size, imagine the issue as being the size of your full vision but that it slowly starts to shrink to the point where it is tiny and almost invisible. You might event let it disappear altogether after a few listening sessions.
4. Lastly, you might visualize the trigger event or typical scenario and then view yourself going through it but remaining in a calm, neutral state and then see yourself happy having gone through the experience without any negative consequences. Then just continue to relax and let your mind go for the remainder of the track as this will help you sleep better too.

Now the above may seem overly simplistic for your situation but perhaps you can adapt this process to suit your anxiety triggers and visualize a successful walk-through and outcome.

Lastly, as with depression, we’re not claiming that brainwave entrainment is the be all and end all. However, there are some other resources that when combined with properly engineered brainwave entrainment can help you to manage your anxiety much more effectively:

• Nutrient support: In addition to the supplements mentioned above, taking a highly absorbable combination of calcium & magnesium (in a 2:1 ratio with supporting nutrients) such as Instant CalMag-C can have a really effective and natural calming effect on your mind and body. Calming herbs such as Valerian and Chamomile can also provide support.
• Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP): Thousands of people around the world have experienced relief from their anxiety through the use of NLP therapy. If you haven’t come across it before, you may want to read up on it. In fact the above steps use simple techniques from NLP. If you are interested in trying it, we recommend asking around for recommendations of a highly reputable NLP practitioner who has extensive training and qualifications.

OCD and other mental health issues

Properly engineered brainwave entrainment may provide support for people who suffer from a variety of other mental health issues. For example, we have had positive testimonials from people with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Our dual brainwave track, referred to above for depression, has been specifically designed to help quieten the ‘negative voices’ that may work against you. We achieve this by providing a carefully selected frequency in the Beta range in the right ear (stimulating the left hemisphere) and another frequency at a particular Alpha level in the left ear (stimulating the right hemisphere). Tranquility may also be useful in this situation by using a visualization (like the one above for anxiety) that helps to lessen your response to your main OCD trigger events.

We’ve also found that customers with addictive tendencies have anecdotally experienced reduced cravings through the use of our two foundation tracks. Often recovering addicts find that their memory is sub-standard and they lack the drive or motivation to pick themselves back up. Again, properly engineered brainwave entrainment can be considered in this context.

*If you are afflicted by one or more mental health issues and would like to consider brainwave entrainment as part of an active program to manage your situation, RevitaMind has been optimally formulated to support your well-being and help achieve a more balanced state. While we have numerous testimonials to support the anecdotal statements provided above, we must reiterate that mental health issues are not to be taken lightly and you should always consult with your primary physician before altering your current regime.